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"Boot Camp"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence, references to NCS (especially in later chapters) Pairings: 1+2, 3+4 (to start with) A/N: This is the first time I'm getting up the nerve to post a story...hope it's not too similar to anyone else's (haven't seen one just like it). Candid, kindly-delivered critiques will be greatly appreciated...please don't rip my head off too much? Um, and the old "don't like, don't read" phrase holds true. Oh, and it's fiction, and I don't have a law degree, so there's sure to be some inaccuracies...can we just pretend, please? Thanks in advance. Rating: NC 17 Summary: Four boys in the juvenile justice system
receive a last chance to make something of their futures. Will boot
camp make or break them? And can they ever learn to be a team? "Boot Camp"
It was a restless night at Camp Peacecraft, as everyone tried to put the previous night’s events behind them. When Duo and Heero finally went back to the barracks, they found Trowa and Quatre curled up asleep on Quatre’s bunk, their arms draped comfortingly across one another. Duo smirked to himself. “They’re just so adorable, aren’t they?” “You’re a sentimental sap, Maxwell,” came the gruff reply, as Heero yawned and pulled off his shirt to get ready for bed. “But you love me anyway,” came the cheeky reply. Duo quickly stripped down to his boxers and a tee shirt, and then slipped into Heero’s bunk while the team leader was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. When he came out and saw his lover snuggled up to the pillow with a mischievous gleam in his indigo eyes, Heero couldn’t help smiling. “Warming my bunk up for me?” he teased. “I thought I might stay and warm you up, too.” When the Japanese boy got into bed, Duo promptly rolled so he was half on top of him, pressing a demanding kiss to his lips. Heero had no problem reciprocating, until he wrapped his arms around Duo and caught the faintest suggestion of a wince. Then he pausing, holding the other boy back by gently pushing against his shoulders. “Duo—not tonight,” he whispered, sighing a little wistfully. “You’re still hurting.” “I don’t care,” Duo murmured back, his eyes dark and hungry. “I want you, ‘Ro.” “You have me. Always. But tonight you need to let your body rest and heal.” The boy from L2 heaved a frustrated sigh, and then yawned widely in spite of himself, eyes drooping sleepily. “Y’promise when the bruises go away I can have my way with you?” he asked teasingly. “Any time you want,” came the husky reply. Duo snuggled into him, falling asleep within moments, his chestnut braid trailing across Heero’s chest. The Japanese boy fell asleep with a hand tangled in the end of the silky plait where he’d been contentedly stroking it.
After a moment, the auburn-haired boy slipped out of bed without rousing his lover, and padded silently over to the other side of the room, gazing down at the braided boy and the team leader. His green eyes traced the curves of Duo’s face, and then down the long hair to Heero’s hand, and then settled momentarily on Heero’s face. And immediately the dark blue eyes opened, fixing a surprisingly alert gaze on Trowa’s face. The boy from L3 flinched slightly, taking a step back, but Heero caught his wrist. Putting a finger to his lips for silence, Heero eased away from Duo and got out of bed, taking Trowa with him until they were in the privacy of the bathroom. After carefully closing the door, he turned and flipped on the lights, studying his teammate’s haggard face. “Nightmares?” Trowa nodded, and then shrugged. “I’m okay, Yuy. Just—.” “You needed to make sure he was still alive—that the dream wasn’t real.” He gave a small, grim smile. “Me too.” “I feel like a complete failure,” Trowa sighed. “I sold him out to K. for a dog, and then let him get shot right in front of my eyes. If he hadn’t been wearing Kevlar—.” “You didn’t ‘let’ him get shot. You couldn’t get to him in time. There’s a difference. A huge one. And you helped Chang disarm and overpower Kushrenada—or you might all three have ended up dead for real.” “Yeah, I s’pose so.” Trowa sat on the closed lid of the toilet, rubbing wearily at his face. “You also risked your life to save Duo’s on that mountain climb,” Heero reminded him. “Did I ever thank you for that?” “Yeah—and you still do—every time you look at him and I can see how much he means to you.” Heero gave a rare, warm smile. “So stop torturing yourself for mistakes of the past and things you were powerless to stop. You’re part of Team Wing, Barton—and we’ve got a bright future. Go back to Quatre, get some sleep, and look forward instead of back.” “Wow. Nice pep talk, Yuy,” Trowa smirked, his wry humor gradually returning. “I s’pose maybe Doctor Po was right about talking to the psychiatrist guy.” His green eyes sparkled. “She just didn’t know his name was Yuy, instead of Doctor G.” Heero couldn’t help the short burst of laughter that escaped at the thought of him being any kind of psychologist. “I’m no shrink, Barton.” “Maybe not. But you’re a damn good team leader.” “Thanks,” Heero said, trying not to blush at the compliment. “But that being the case, I’ve got an order for you…sleep. We’ll need our rest if we’re going to get through testing this week.” He opened the door and gestured the other boy out. Trowa returned to his warm bed, climbing in next to Quatre and curling up with his adored teammate. When Heero slid back into bed, Duo rolled over, snuggling into him and mumbling drowsily. “Shhh—go back to sleep, baka.” “—mmm. But your baka,” came the sleepy reply.
There was no morning reveille; Captain Chang had decided that with the amount of administrative work needing to be done, and the fact that most of his soldiers were occupied guarding the prison personnel they’d taken into custody the previous day, the recruits deserved to sleep in. He did, however, have each liaison wake their team at eight o’clock for breakfast and fill them in on the upcoming schedule. Although exams were cancelled for that day, the boys were warned there’d be extra work the next day to help make up for the lost time. Then they were told to treat the day like a Sunday, using the time for extra studying, or simple relaxation if they chose. Duo was the last one up in Team Wing’s barracks, grumbling about his aches and bruises; but the thought of a hot breakfast finally spurred him to join his teammates. Heero and Quatre had been the first up, and had gone on ahead to the showers. While the braided boy threw on some clothes and gathered his things for the shower, Trowa waited by the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “So tell me something. How’d your talk with K. go yesterday?” “Okay,” shrugged Duo, sitting on the edge of a bunk to pull his boots on. “What’d you talk about?” pressed the auburn-haired boy. “His brother’s murder.” “So you did know something about it.” “Yeah…I saw it happen.” Duo explained the whole story to Trowa, just as he had to Heero, Wufei, and Kushrenada. “No shit,” said Trowa at the end of the story, shaking his head ruefully. “How’d K. take it?” “Went a little ballistic…guess he didn’t know his brother was gay, let alone dating his partner.” Duo said with a little shrug. “I imagine he’d have a little trouble accepting that.” “Yeah. He didn’t believe any of it, until the part about the tattoo, I think.” “But he did believe you—in the end?” Duo smiled faintly. “Yeah…but y’know, that’s what bothered me the most. All those years I couldn’t get him to believe I didn’t do it—and finally, he realized I’d been telling the truth all along.” His eyes went a little distant. “So then I told him I’d made the whole thing up.” Trowa’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?” Duo nodded. “I told him I was just fucking with his head.” “Shit.” Trowa shook his head, smiling faintly. “What’d he do?” “He just went nuts on me…practically ‘foaming at the mouth’ crazy.” “The man was crazy to begin with,” Trowa said firmly. “I swear, Duo, the day Merquise was shot, I could see it on his face; but it was always there. Kushrenada is insane. I don’t know if it was his brother’s death that put him over the edge, or if he was always that way. But between his unhealthy obsession with you, and his sadistic streak—.” He shook his head. “Psycho.” Duo nodded, smirking slightly. “And I always thought I was a little crazy—but nothing like him.” “Y’know, he’ll never be sure if you were telling the truth or just messing with his head,” Trowa observed. A small, cold smile twitched at the corners of Duo’s mouth. “I know.” “Good,” Trowa said flatly. Duo looked up in surprise. “You agree with what I did to him?” “Yeah—shit, the man didn’t deserve closure. The bastard’s been so obsessed with you. He should spend the rest of his life thinking about it over and over again.” “Chang didn’t seem to think so. And even though he said he understood, I think Heero wasn’t too pleased that I jerked K. around like that.” “That’s because he never fucked with their heads, Duo,” Trowa assured him. “You an’ me…we experienced the bastard’s mind games. I mean, sure, he tried to kill Merquise and Chang. But he never got inside their heads and twisted things around on ‘em. The way he played me, made me into something despicable…a tool he could use against you…it seriously got to me.” He shook his head. “I’m glad you fucked him back, Duo. You gave him what he wanted, and then took it away, just like he did to me with Nanashi…and just like he’s done to you all these years. He deserved worse than he got.” “Even though I lied?” Trowa shrugged. “If you want to get technical, Duo, you’ve lied a lot. We all have. Our whole ‘cheating’ act? Every time you kissed me, it was a lie. Not in words—but actions can be just as deceiving.” “I guess Sister Helen and Father Maxwell would be pretty disappointed in me,” Duo sighed. “I don’t think so. Not at all,” Trowa disagreed. “I think they’d be so glad you’re changing the way you live, that they’d let one little fib slide.” Duo smiled warmly. “Thanks, Tro’.” “You’re a good person,” shrugged the other boy. “So are you.” Trowa gave a slight snort of disbelief. “I screwed up so much here, Duo. I fucked over so many people—.” “And you learned from those mistakes, didn’t you?” Duo pointed out. “Just like I learned from mine.” He shook his head slightly, wonder in his eyes. “Y’know…after all we went through, I’d never have thought we’d end up friends…but I trust you as much as I trust Quat an’ Heero.” He looked up with a frown. “Is that crazy?” Trowa shook his head. “No. Because I swear, I’ll never do anything like that again. Now that I know you, and you know me…the real one, and not the one K. was able to deceive…it’ll never be like that again.” “I’m glad,” Duo said flatly, turning and picking up his bundle of clothes. “Let’s go get our showers. I’m betting that nice hot water will feel good on all the aches and pains I’ve still got.” Trowa nodded, and they headed out of the barracks.
“It’s Major Merquise, sir.” “Put it on line two. I’ll take it at once,” he told her, startled by the eager flutter in the pit of his stomach. He quickly ended the call he’d been on, and reached for the line two button, only to pause and smooth the sides of his hair, and then silently berate himself for “preening” before answering Merquise’s call. “Pathetic, Chang,” he muttered under his breath, nonetheless straightening his collar before hitting the button. “Major Merquise?” “Wufei,” came a warm, pleased voice, and he found himself looking into those dazzling ice-blue eyes. “You’re looking better, sir.” A pained look crossed the elegant features of the officer. “So formal?” he sighed. “I rather thought our last conversation was a bit more—intimate.” “I—don’t know what you mean,” Wufei stammered out uneasily, still horribly uncomfortable with the unfamiliar ground on which he found himself. “Do I have to be dying before you’ll admit to feeling something for me?” “Of course not,” came the stiff response. “I respect you greatly. I—I like and admire you.” “—and I find your dark eyes mysterious and intriguing,” replied Zechs, gazing deeply into those onyx depths. “Your hair looks like silk, and I’ve daydreamed about seeing it loose on your bare shoulders…” “Zechs!” Wufei squawked indignantly, looking warily towards the door as if wondering if his secretary might be eavesdropping. “This may not be a secure line!” The Major grinned wickedly. “Then why not give any voyeurs a real show?” he challenged. “Because—you—you’re in a hospital! And—it wouldn’t be—proper.” “You know, you called me Zechs a moment ago,” the blonde pointed out with a smirk. “I did?” Major Merquise nodded smugly. “It wasn’t so difficult after all, was it?” “I—suppose not,” Wufei conceded. He forced himself to relax the taut set of his shoulders. “This is just still very awkward for me, you know.” “I know.” “But I do care…a great deal.” Zechs’ smile softened. “And I know how hard that is for you to admit. So, I’ll let you off the hook for a moment, and we’ll talk business. Okay?” “That would be—easier,” Wufei replied with a sigh. “How are my boys?” This was a subject Captain Chang could address with confidence. “They’re a tighter team than ever. Nearly losing Maxwell unsettled the others a bit, so they’re rather possessive of him at the moment; but Doctor Po is sure that will ease with time.” “Ah, Maxwell!” The Major’s eyes lit up. “He’s the main reason for my call. The boy lost a small wager with me, Chang. Would you be so good as to mention it to him?” Wufei raised an eyebrow, giving the officer a wary look. “A wager?” His dark eyes narrowed. “Oh! No! It’s not like our wager, Wufei,” said Zechs hastily. “Not even close! I simply bet him that you’d clear Yuy and have him back before graduation.” The cautious gleam in the dark eyes didn’t fade. “And what were the stakes?” By now the blonde man was smiling at the suggestion of jealousy in the other man’s tone. He was momentarily tempted to tease a bit, and say they’d bet something like a kiss, but he was serious enough about his intentions that he didn’t want to toy with his intended that way. “He has to give a speech at the graduation ceremony, Chang,” he said flatly. “You know how I hate public speaking.” The Chinese man’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh!” He burst out laughing in delight. “You conned Maxwell into getting up in front of the entire camp, the Prison Board, and the directors of the Peacecraft Foundation? Does he know how many people will be here?” “I believe so,” came the complacent reply. “He was certainly reluctant to make the wager; but I think I caught him at a weak moment.” “You have a way of doing that to people,” came the dry response. “I’ll be happy to remind the boy of his loss.” “Good.” The Major nodded. “I’d like to speak to him myself, if you could arrange it…maybe give him a bit of guidance, so he doesn’t feel so overwhelmed.” “What time would you like me to have him here in the office for your call?” “Make it after supper. I wouldn’t want to spoil the boy’s appetite.” Wufei chuckled. “And yet you’re going to let me remind him of the wager during the day today.” “I’m sure the significance of it won’t sink in right away.” The Major smiled in satisfaction. “Is the graduation still on for this Friday?” “Aye, sir. Three days from now.” “Good, because I have a few small requests…”
The Chinese man looked up with a slight smile. “I believe you, Lieutenant.” His grin widened. “I’m not sure the prison board or the Peacecraft folks will. But then, quite a few of them never thought we could turn juvenile delinquents into productive members of society…let alone part of an elite fighting force.” The Lieutenant smiled back. “You’re just loving this, aren’t you?” “Let’s just say, graduation day may mean even more to me than it does to the recruits.” He raised an eyebrow at his subordinate. “By the way—you did send someone to fetch the two thugs I left handcuffed to that tree, right?” “Yeah, got ‘em last night.” He chuckled nastily. “They were starting to get pretty panicky. One of ‘em kept asking about you and the boys—if you were okay. But then, he was pretty hungry and thirsty—probably a little out of his mind.” Wufei grinned wickedly. “Not that either of them was especially sane to begin with.” Of course, recalling the way he’d handled the two ambushers reminded him that Duo Maxwell wasn’t the only one with a cruel streak when it came to dealing with people who’d tried to do him harm. Maybe Kushrenada had gotten off easy. Speaking of which… “Any word on the enforcers coming for Kushrenada, Wolfe?” “As a matter of fact, they should be pulling up at the gate almost any time, considering what time this morning they called from the shuttle port.” Wufei nodded, standing and stretching. “I’d like to talk to him before they get here.” The lieutenant made a disgusted face. “Why waste your time on the likes of him, sir?” “I just want to remind him that every correspondence he has from prison will be monitored. If he even thinks of using his connections to try to get revenge on my recruits…” Wolfe chuckled. “They’d have to get past us all, sir. I don’t know a soldier who’s served here at camp who won’t be watching those kids’ backs.” The Chinese officer smiled with satisfaction. “They do grow on you, don’t they?” He stood up, pushing aside his paperwork. “I need to get out of this office for a bit. I’m going to see Kushrenada, and then check up on my recruits.” He made his way across the compound, entering the detention building, and heading straight for the former warden’s cell. The tawny-eyed man was pacing restlessly, obviously unsettled by being on the wrong side of the bars. “Sleep well?” Wufei asked rather snidely. Treize scowled at him. “What do you want, Chang? Have some more mind games to play?” He sneered coldly. “You should’ve brought the L2 brat; he’s better at them.” “In spite of his little taunt there at the end, you know he was telling the truth.” “I know nothing of the sort. He was born a lying, thieving gutter rat, and he’ll die a lying, thieving gutter rat.” “Unlikely,” shrugged the officer. “He’s much more likely to die a decorated MSC officer at the rate he’s going.” The warden gaped, and then shut his mouth into a tight, angry line. “So you did come to play games, Chang.” “No. I came to say goodbye, and to warn you that if you try in any way to make trouble for any of my recruits ever again, I’ll put you out of your misery permanently.” “A threat? How unbecoming for an officer.” “And trying to murder two MSC officers and an inmate is rather unbecoming for a warden, as well,” Wufei commented icily. “What I find so ironic about it all, is your insistence on persecuting Maxwell for a crime he didn’t commit, and then turning around and trying to commit the same crime yourself.” “Pest control,” came the terse reply. “I’ll remember that phrase, if you ever bother me or my recruits again,” Wufei said evenly. “The authorities will be here for you shortly. I doubt I’ll see you again before your trial; but you can rest assured I’ll be there.” “I suppose the brat will be on the stand lying his head off again, too.” “He told the truth about your brother,” Wufei said firmly. “You know it and I know it.” He shrugged slightly, spreading his hands before him. “Why do you think your partner committed suicide less than a year later?” The tawny eyes darted him a sharp look. “Been prying, have you, Chang?” “I looked a few things up. There was speculation that your partner killed himself out of a sense of despair and failure over being unable to solve your brother’s murder. But we know better now, don’t we?” “We know nothing,” came the sour reply. “Maxwell wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him in the face.” “Much like the way you backhanded him the first day of camp?” asked Wufei coldly. “I should have trumped up a violation and sent him to prison right then and there,” snarled the warden. “He’s nothing but trouble.” “Is it so hard for you to admit you were wrong about him all these years?” asked the officer quietly. “He’s not a murderer; just a street kid who had the misfortune to witness a horribly brutal murder at the tender age of twelve, and then be taken in as a suspect and beaten for denying his guilt.” “He was scum back then, and he’s scum now,” came the unrepentant reply. “That whole twisted story of his was nothing but lies.” “Maxwell doesn’t lie.” “Really? Well, either the story he told was a lie, or his assertion that he made it up was. Which is it, Chang? Either way, he lied.” Captain Chang shook his head. “The truth doesn’t really matter to you, does it, Kushrenada? You’d hate him no matter what.” “Well, finally the light dawns,” came the sarcastic reply. “Y’know what else, Chang? I hate you just as much.” “I see I’ve wasted my time trying to talk sense to you,” shrugged the officer. “Enjoy your time in prison, K. I’m sure all the guys you put there back when you were a street cop will be delighted to see you again. Perhaps that’s a truth you’ll learn to face.” He turned on a heel and walked quickly away, feeling like he needed to wash his hands just from the proximity to the vile warden.
Heero was pitching, as usual, while his teammates appeared to be split up between baseball teams. In fact, as Wufei watched, he realized each team consisted of boys from all of the remaining boot camp teams mixed together. Quatre spotted the MSC officer first, as his group was between innings, and he walked over to greet him. “Captain Chang! Should we line up or something?” he asked, giving a somewhat tentative salute. “No, Winner. Relax and have a seat. There’s no need for formalities right now.” He nodded towards the players on the field, smiling wryly as Duo tried to steal third. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt such good sport.” “Yeah…all the team leaders put their heads together over breakfast and decided we had to do something for exercise today,” Quatre told him, sitting beside the officer. “The game’s just a warm-up. But since all the military personnel are stuck on guard duty, we figured we could move on to doing some martial arts practice on our own.” He looked past the officer, grimacing. “Aw, nuts.” Duo was apparently out at third, standing arguing with the umpire and Heero, who’d been the one to make the decisive throw. But instead of causing an unpleasant scene, the altercation was just making the other boys laugh hysterically. “God, I wish I could hear what they’re saying,” Quatre sighed, grinning as Duo threw his hands up in disgust, turning to walk away. Heero jogged after him, giving him a scolding slap on the rear as he passed, and Duo spun around and caught the pitcher by the shoulders, leaning in to whisper something. Whatever it was left Heero standing grinning like an idiot, as Duo ran back to the dugout, and then headed up the hill to hang out with the other players. He saw Captain Chang when he was halfway there, and smiled and waved. “Hey, look who’s come to watch!” “Stealing again, Maxwell?” teased the officer, pointing towards third base. “Trying. Heero’s too quick, though. Damn his peripheral vision!” Duo sank down next to Quatre. Wufei smirked, watching his long-time friend throw another nearly perfect pitch. “He’s uncannily skilled at most anything he does,” he noted. The braided boy gave a rather suggestive chuckle, glancing mischievously out of the corner of an eye. “Hell, yeah.” The officer pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Maxwell—you are the most—irreverent person I think I’ve ever met. Is nothing sacred to you?” “Sure. Heero’s—.” “Stop!” Wufei glared, and Duo burst into delighted laughter. Deciding he wanted to squelch a little of that irrepressible mirth, the officer leaned closer. “I can’t imagine why Merquise is so eager to have such a cavalier individual give the graduation speech.” The laughing stopped at once, and Duo sat up sharply, eyes wide. “Oh, shit! The bet!” It was Wufei’s turn to grin evilly. “Yes, Maxwell. The bet. I’d have thought a street wise kid like you would have learned not to wager more than you’re willing to lose.” Duo looked at Quatre helplessly. “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Quatre smirked back. “Don’t worry, Duo. It can’t be that bad.” “Sure it can!” Duo protested. He looked at Wufei with a scowl. “Chang—what am I supposed to say to a bunch of prison board members and big-shot politicians?” “Just tell them what you learned here. That’s all. Tell them the Initiative was right, and that even a bunch of boys from juvenile detention have something to contribute to society.” Duo sighed, flopping back into the grass and looking up at the sky. “Why does this feel harder than all the mobile suit testing in the world?” “Because it is,” chuckled the Captain. “I’d rather take on a whole squadron of Leos than have to give a public speech.” The braided boy groaned, throwing an arm theatrically across his face. “Wait a sec,” Quatre smirked. “Y’mean if Duo does this, he’s being braver than both you and Major Merquise?” he asked the officer. Captain Chang’s jaw went slack. “What? No!” he protested. “Oh yeah!” Duo chirped, sitting up and fixing a sly look on the officer. “Quat’s right. I’ll be doing something that scares the bejesus out of you big, tough officers.” His face was practically glowing with smug confidence. “Ha, Chang! You just watch how brave I can be.” Wufei shook his head hopelessly, fighting the urge to smirk at Quatre’s clever way of giving his teammate an encouraging nudge. “But Maxwell—you stared down the barrel of Kushrenada’s gun, for crying out loud! I already know you’ve got guts.” “That was nothin,’” Duo said loftily. “Wait’ll Friday.” He threw himself onto his stomach on the ground, crossing his arms and resting his chin on them, obviously deep in thought planning his speech. Quatre met Wufei’s shrewd onyx eyes, smiling benevolently. “Winner,” said the Chinese man in an undertone. “Remind me to keep you around for when I need to recruit soldiers for the next suicide mission.” “Any time, sir,” smirked the aquamarine-eyed boy, his gaze wandering back out to the playing field. Wufei left shortly thereafter to return to his mountain of administrative work, satisfied that his recruits were utilizing their time wisely, and that as soon as the day’s issues were squared away, they could get back to their testing.
“What’s with the notebook?” Trowa asked. “Don’t you remember?” Quatre asked him with a nudge. “He bet Merquise that Wufei couldn’t clear Heero in time for graduation.” “Oh—that’s right!” Trowa said, his face lighting in recollection. He gave Duo a teasing grin. “Better you than me.” The braided boy shot him a glare, subsiding when Heero slipped an arm around his waist to usher him up the steps. “You bet against Wufei?” he asked quietly. “I didn’t think there was a chance he could clear things up in less than two weeks,” Duo replied. “Sucker,” grinned Heero. “You need to get to know your guardian a bit better. There’s not much ‘Fei can’t do.” “I see that now.” “Why d’you think I was willing to go along with the cops from L1?” Heero asked. “I knew Wufei would find a way to make things right. He’s never let me down.” Duo smirked mischievously. “Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll grow up to be just like him.” All he got for his wisecrack was an elbow in the ribs, and his hair mussed up as Heero gave him a teasing shove. “Don’t even think about it!” he cautioned. “You stay just like you are, baka.” Yeah—your baka, forever. Once they’d eaten lunch, the recruits spent the rest of the day practicing martial arts, and quizzing each other on some of the material for the next day’s testing. Then they went their separate ways to do laundry, barracks cleaning and showers before dinner.
“’Ro—what’s the flight range of the W1?” he asked, scowling at the notes he’d taken during classes several weeks before. “Um—twenty-two hundred kilometers.” “Ah. My twos look like sevens,” Duo muttered, fixing the error. The four boys were so immersed in their studies, that a sharp rap on the door barely disturbed them. “Come in!” Heero called, not even looking up from the laptop. Captain Chang walked in, waiting with a raised eyebrow for a moment before clearing his throat loudly. “Oh!” Heero hastily jumped to his feet, gesturing his teammates to do the same. They took positions at attention, as if for an inspection. Wufei shook his head, sighing deeply. “Slow, Yuy. You’ll need to work on military protocols and discipline with this bunch.” “Aw, but we were concentrating, sir!” Duo protested. “Studying for exams.” He tried his best beguiling eyes on the stoic officer. “You do want us to do well, don’t you?” “Stow it, Maxwell,” Wufei muttered. “I just came to get you, anyway. You have a phone call.” “A call? But nobody I know would—.” “Now!” Wufei turned and walked briskly out. The braided boy dropped his notebook on his bunk, giving his teammates a puzzled look before obediently following the officer. He caught up halfway across the compound, falling into step beside Captain Chang. “So who’s the mystery caller?” “It’s a surprise.” They both glanced back as Heero jogged up to them. “Yuy—you’re not needed,” Wufei said rather curtly. “I’m not letting him out of my sight, Chang,” replied the Japanese boy firmly. “Team rules.” “The threat is over,” Wufei pointed out. “I’ll believe that when I see it,” came the stubborn reply. They got to the office, and Wufei gestured Duo into the inner room, while he and Heero stayed in the outer office. “Who’s he talking to?” Heero inquired, glancing warily at his long-time friend. “Merquise. He called earlier today from the hospital to have me remind Maxwell about the speech. But he also wanted to speak to him directly.” “Ah, a little encouragement?” “He’s going to give him a very simple outline so Duo doesn’t feel quite so overwhelmed about the whole thing.” “Sounds good.” Heero looked at the desk, where the Kevlar vest Duo had been wearing when he was shot lay. “I take it this is evidence against Kushrenada?” “A small part of it,” Wufei said with satisfaction. “Um…while we’re on the subject,” Heero said, turning a brooding look to the officer. “Could I have a moment with you—off the record, sort of?” “Ah. You mean as a friend, rather than a recruit? Man to man, as it were?” Heero nodded. “Of course.” Heero’s fist struck without warning, sending the officer staggering back into the wall. “That’s for not telling me he’d be wearing Kevlar, Chang!” Heero said with a dark glare. Wufei gingerly felt his jaw, dark eyes gleaming, and then he smiled slightly. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to belt me for that one.” “I’d have done it sooner, but there was never a private moment,” Heero shrugged, flexing his hand and feeling much better about the whole incident. “I couldn’t very well slug you in front of your troops, now could I?” The Chinese officer shook his head. “That would have been a mistake,” he agreed. “In my defense, Yuy, there wasn’t really a good time to tell you about the Kevlar.” “How about the final briefing?” “Would you believe it slipped my mind?” Wufei shrugged slightly. “Really. And even if it hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it. I didn’t want you to get complacent. Of course, I didn’t really expect it to be needed in the final analysis, or I’d never have put Maxwell in that position at all.” “That’s good to know,” Heero told him. “If you’d gone on about ‘acceptable risks’ I might’ve had to hit you again.” Wufei grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Are we even now?” “Hai.” Heero nodded once, satisfied that the officer fully understood how irked he’d been at being kept in the dark about the Kevlar.
“Wow,” Duo breathed. “You really are alive.” His smile was warm and genuine. “I’m glad.” “Thank you,” replied the Major, touched by the boy’s sincerity. “And I hear we almost lost you, while we were at it.” Duo waved a hand dismissively. “Naw—Chang had me in Kevlar. There was never a doubt.” “Not from what I’ve heard.” “Okay, then. I never had a doubt—er, well, maybe a small one,” Duo admitted, recalling the moment he’d dropped to his knees while staring down the barrel of K.’s gun. “Guess I’m lucky he didn’t go for a head shot.” “You’re lucky all the way ‘round,” sighed the officer, shaking his head. “You, too…three shots to the chest without Kevlar.” Duo smirked cheekily. “I’m thinking a wardrobe change is overdue for you.” The officer chuckled, wincing at a stab of pain. “I’ll take that under advisement, Maxwell.” He sobered a bit, his blue eyes warm. “I’m glad your plan worked, and that you survived it.” “Me too.” The Major’s face took on a slightly mischievous expression. “I also hear that your team leader made it back in time for the plan and before graduation.” Duo grimaced, and nodded. “Yes, sir.” He drew a deep breath and sighed. “A deal’s a deal. I owe you a speech.” He gave an appealing look from under his lashes. “Of course, since you won’t be here…” “Oh, but I will,” the Major assured him. “Even though I can’t make the trip just yet, Wufei has promised to have a video connection so I can watch every minute of the graduation from my hospital bed.” “Oh.” Duo gritted his teeth. “How thoughtful of him.” Merquise laughed at the boy’s cross expression. “I would have insisted if he hadn’t offered.” He sobered, giving Duo a steady look. “You can do it, Maxwell. Make some notes if you have to, though I suspect you can be just as eloquent when you improvise. And then pretend you’re talking to one of your teammates, rather than an audience.” “But what am I supposed to say?” Duo asked a bit hopelessly. “Just talk about what you’ve learned at Camp Peacecraft—what you feel you’ve gained.” “Y’mean a future?” Duo smirked. “Exactly! Just say it like that, and it’ll be perfect.” The blonde officer looked earnestly at the braided boy. “When you talked about the other teams, and protecting them from Kushrenada, it really impressed me.” “Yeah, I remember.” “So, just introduce yourself, talk about where you came from, the people you met at camp, and how it changed your future. That will be plenty.” “How long do I have to talk?” “Five minutes should do it,” shrugged the MSC officer. “Nobody likes long speeches anyway.” Duo nodded unhappily. “I’ll do it.” He raised wary eyes to the officer. “But I won’t gamble against you any more, sir. You have amazing luck.” When Wufei and Heero entered the room a few minutes later, they found the boy and the Major laughing together. “What’s this?” Wufei asked sharply. “Didn’t the nurse tell you to take it easy, Zechs? Are you supposed to be sitting up this long? And laughing? You could tear your stitches.” “Aw, is Wuffers worried about his hot, blonde hunk?” Duo teased, ducking the half-hearted swat the Chinese man made at his head. “I’m concerned about a stubborn MSC officer who hasn’t the sense to obey his doctor’s orders,” Wufei said stiffly. But his dark eyes studied the face on the vid-screen hungrily. “How will we ever get to our dinner if you don’t heal up and get the hell out of the hospital?” The Major’s eyes lit up. “Chang—Wufei—there is nothing going to keep me from our date. I promise, if it will get me out of here even a day early, I’ll do everything the doctor orders…I want to see you in person.” Heero cleared his throat, taking a firm hold of Duo’s arm. “C’mon, Maxwell. I think that’s our cue to exit.” “Aw, but ‘Ro—they’re just about to start the mushy stuff!” Duo whined, grinning madly as his lover pulled him towards the door. “And we’re going to give them privacy for it,” Heero insisted, shoving the braided boy out the door ahead of him, and then pulling it shut behind them. “Besides,” he added quietly. “I thought we’d start some mushy stuff of our own.” “Oh.” Duo blinked, and then wrapped an eager
arm around Heero’s. “Well, then—lead on.”
tbc... |
